Jennifer Lee steps down as Disney CCO to return to direct Frozen

According to foreign media reports, Alan Bergman, co-chairman of Disney Group, issued a statement: Oscar winner of Best Animated Feature Film Jennifer Lee will no longer serve as the Chief Cultural and Creative Officer (CCO) of Disney Animation. Her work focus will be shifted to film production. She will devote herself to the directing and writing of "Frozen 3" and "Frozen 4". Gerard Bush, co-director of "Zootopia" and "Moana", will succeed as CCO.

“Gerald Bush is an incredible filmmaker and a talented executive who has been a brilliant creative force at Disney Animation for the past decade, and I’m thrilled that he will be taking the helm of this historic studio,” Alan Bergman said in a statement. “I also want to thank Jennifer Lee for her passionate leadership of the studio over the past few years – she has left an indelible mark on both Disney Animation and the industry as a whole. I know she has many more stories to tell, and there is truly no one better suited to oversee the continuation of the beloved Frozen story.”

Jennifer Lee took over as CCO from John Lasseter in 2018 while she was working on Frozen 2. In a statement, she thanked Bergman and Bush for their support of her decision to return to filmmaking full-time, "I have always believed in Gerard's extraordinary talent and can't wait to see his passion and dedication to animation and what he will bring to the role as CCO."

“I’m incredibly grateful to Bob Iger and Alan Bergman for their confidence in me, and to Jennifer for her leadership and generous support of the next installment of Frozen,” said Gerald Bush. “I’m excited to work with all of our filmmakers, artists, and members of the Disney Animation team to shape the future of this legendary studio.”

Jennifer Lee previously talked about the creation of "Frozen 3," "Our idea is that if there are more stories to tell, filmmakers have to push it. Mark Smith, who served as the screenwriter in "Frozen 2", came up with an incredible idea to make more "Frozen" movies, which makes a lot of sense. At the Disney Global Fan Conference D23 Expo held in June this year, "Frozen 3" was officially announced to be released in North America on November 24, 2027.